Fire-alarm circuit-closer.



B. TRENT.

FIRE ALARM CIRCUIT CLOSER.-

AIPLIUATION FILED APR.14, 1911.

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WITNESSES W 7 COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO, WASHINGTON. D. c.

B. TRENT.

FIRE ALARM CIRCUIT CLOSER.

APPLICATION TILED APILM, 1911.

1 095 949 Patented May 5, 1914.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITNESSES I j INVENTOR 6W, 7767a} G MUWW J A "W,

COLUMBIA PLANOGHAPH 60.,WA5H1NnTON, D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN TRENT, 0F CLIFTON, NEW JERSEY.

FIRE'ALARM CIRCUIT-CLOSER.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BENJAMIN TRENT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Clifton, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Fire-Alarm Circuit-Closer, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

' My invention relates to automatic circuit closers for electric fire alarm systems.

It comprises a pair of conductors forming a part of a fire alarm system in which the usual alarm devices, enunciators and the like are included; in combination with a conducting member held in position to connect the conductors electrically with each other upon the outbreak of a fire. This member is normally held out of operative posit-ion by means of a fusible connection fixed to a wall, a ceiling, a pipe, or any other part of a house or building, and if a fire should start in the said house or building the heat thereof will cause the said fusible connection to melt, releasing the conducting member, which then electrically connects the two line conductors and closes the fire alarm circuit.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which the same characters of reference indicate the same parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of my circuit breaker; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof taken on a plane passing centrally through the conducting member; Fig. 3 is a top plan thereof; Fig. 1 is a section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 5, showing a modification; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the construction shown on Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 7, showing another modification; and Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the construction shown on Fig. 6.

On the drawings, 1 is a bracket shown fixed to the side wall of a building and having a pair of plates 2 fixed to the lower side of its top. These plates are made of metal or any other conductin material, and their opposite edges are ormed with downwardly-extending ears 2, having screwthreaded perforations to receive binding screws 3, to fasten to each of the plates 2 the end of a conductor 3. Each of the plates 2 is also formed with a pair of downwardly-extending bosses 4, these bosses 4 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 14, 1911.

Patented M y 5, 1914.

Serial No. 621,006.

flanking the ears 2 and having recesses in their lower sides to receive the ends of a pair of U-shaped carbon conductors 5. These carbon conductors are held in place by screws 4, which pass through the sides of the bosses 4 and engage the ends of the carbon conductors to hold them in place. Each of these carbon conductors 5 has one of its limbs covered with an insulating sleeve 6, these insulating sleeves being parallel to each other, as shown on Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and being inclosed by a carbon ring 7. This ring 7 is connected adjacent its lowermost point to a fusible strip 8, this strip passing through the top of the ring and being fastened at its upper end to an eyelet 9 in the bracket 1. The strip 8 will normally hold the carbon ring in contact with the sleeve 6, and as long as it remains in this position there will be no circuit between the U- shaped members 5. If, however, a fire should ever break out, the fusible connection 8 will be melted. In consequence, the ring 7 will drop, slipping down past the lower ends of the insulating sleeve 6 until it rests upon the carbon forming the bend of the conducting members 5, bridging the same and closing the circuit therethrough be tween the conductors 8. This condition will allow the curreht therein to actuate the alarm device, enunciators or other signaling apparatus which may be included in the system.

The U-shaped conducting members 5 and the ring 7 are made of carbon molded into proper shape. This ring will make contact absolutely sure under all conditions. There will be no danger of rusting when the fire alarm circuit closer is placed in damp places, and neither oil nor moisture will in any way interfere with its working. It may even be placed in outside situations exposed to the weather, where it will work just as good as indoors, no matter how long it remains up or in use.

In the form shown on Figs. 4. and 5 I replace the U-shaped conducting members 5 with a pair of H-shaped carbons 10, the transverse horizontal member joining the vertical members being indicated by the numeral 10. Each of the H-shaped carbons is fixed at its upper ends in recessed bosses 4, carried by plates 2, similar to the plates 2 shown on Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and I also retain in this form the carbon ring 7 and the fusible support or suspension 8. This ring incloses the horizontal members 10, and the vertical members of each Hshaped carbon conductor are inclosed by insulating sleeves 11. Eight of these sleeves 11 are used, two being placed above and two being placed below the ends of each of the transverse members 10. These sleeves will keep the ring 7 from making contact should the building or support be jarred, causing the ring to swing slightly 011 its suspension 8. As soon as a fire breaks out, however, the fusible connection 8 will melt, allowing the ring 7 to drop and brioge the circuit by making contact between the transverse hori- Zontal carbon members 10.

In the form shown on Figs. 6 and 7, I employ plates 2 having ears 2 to be connected to the conductors, and downwardlyextending hollow bosses 4. These hollow bosses receive vertical shanks 12, which are secured therein by screws l, there being two shanks for each of the plates 2. The lower ends of these shanks have enlarged perforations 13 therein to receive the ends of two sticks of carbon 14. These sticks of carbon have straight ends but are bowed out in the middle, as shown at 14:; and 15 is a plummet of carbon which is suspended by the fusible member 8 from an eyelet 9, between the carbons 14. This plummet is surrounded by a ring 16 of non-conducting material to prevent contact from being made at the wrong time, should this plummet be swung or vibrated back and forth. The heat of the fire, however, will melt the connection 8, causing the plummet to drop by gravity and com-e into contact with both the carbon members 14 and bridge the circuit between the same.

On all three modifications shown, the fusible members 8 may be made of fiber or some fusible alloy; in some cases I might even employ a thread of wax, as, for example, in cold storage buildings where the temperature would be low enough to keep the wax solid and rigid enough to support the ring 7 in proper position. The moment a fire breaks out, however, the wax will melt and allow the ring 7 to drop.

It will be understood that when a single bracket is used, such as shown on Fig. 1, it should be of wood or some other n0n-conducting material. If it be desired to use brackets of metal, a separate bracket must be used for each plate 2, or, a single metal bracket may be used, provided each of the plates 2 is suitably insulated therefrom.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a fire alarm circuit closer, the combination of a pair of fixed conductors, movable conductor, means susceptible to the action of heat for holding the movable conductor between the fixed. conductors, said means releasing the movable conductor for movement into contact with said fixed conductors when said means is affected, and insulating means supported on one of said conductors in position to prevent electrical contact of the movable conductor with the fixed conductors until released by the aforesaic means, said movable conductor having an enlarged portion to bridge the space between the fixed conductors when the holding means is affected to release the movable conductor.

2. In a fire alarm circuit closer, the combination of a pair of fixed conductors, a movable conductor, means susceptible to the action of heat for suspending the movable conductor between the fixed conductors, and insulating means supported on one of said conductors to keep the movable conductor out of contact with the fixed. conductors while suspended by the aforesaid means, said movable conductor being thicker at its upper end than at the other, whereby, when the supporting means is melted upon the outbreak of a fire, the movable conductor will drop into contact with both of said fixed conductors.

3. In a fire alarm circuit closer, the combination of a pair of parallel carbon conductors, said conductors being bowed out away from each other over a portion of their length, an inverted conical carbon member arranged between the said conductors, a fusible connection for supporting said carbon member out of contact with said carbon conductors, and an insulating ring surrounding said carbon member adjacent said carbon conductors, whereby, as long as the carbon member is supported in proper position, it will be kept out of contact with the carbon conductors, and as soon as the fusible member is melted, the carbon mem her will drop into contact to bridge a circuit between said carbon conductors.

4. In a fire alarm circuit closer, the combination of a pair of parallel plates, said plates having lugs projecting therefrom to secure electric conductors thereto and a pair of recessed bosses flanking said lugs, a pair of shanks connected to each plate and having their ends received in said bosses, the lower ends of said shanks being perforated, a carbon conductor mounted in the perforated ends of each pair of shanks, said carbon conductors being parallel to each other and being bowed out between the supporting shanks, a conical carbon member arranged between said carbon conductors, a fusible connection supporting said carbon member out of contact with said carbon conductors, and an insulating ring surrounding said carbon member adjacent said carbon conductors, whereby as long as the carbon member is supported in proper position it will be kept out of contact with the carbon conductors, and as soon as the fusible member is melted the carbon member will be allowed to drop until it comes into contact with both of said carbon conductors to bridge a circuit between the same.

5. In a fire alarm circuit closer, the combination of a pair of fixed conductors, a movable conductor, means susceptible to the action of heat for suspending the movable conductor between the fixed conductors, and insulating means supported on said movable conductor to keep the same out of contact with the fixed conductors while suspended by the aforesaid means, said movable conductor being thicker at its upper end than at the other, whereby, when the supporting means is melted upon the outbreak of a fire, the movable conductor will drop into contact with both of said fixed conductors.

6. In a fire alarm circuit closer, the combination of a pair of parallel conductors, said conductors being bowed out away from each other over a portion of their length, an inverted conical member arranged between the said conductors, a fusible connection for supporting said member out of contact with said conductors, and an insulating ring surrounding said member adjacent said conductors, whereby, as long as the member is supported in proper position, it will be kept out of contact with the conductors, and as soon as the fusible member is melted, the

member will drop into contact to bridge a circuit between said conductors.

7. In a fire alarm circuit closer, the combi nation of a pair of parallel plates, said plates having lugs projecting therefrom to secure electric conductors thereto and a pair of recessed bosses adjacent to said lugs, a pair of shanks connected to each plate and having their ends received in said bosses, the lower ends of said shanks being perforated, a conductor mounted in the perforated ends of each pair of shanks, said conductors being parallel to each other and being bowed out between the supporting shanks, a conical member arranged between said conductors, a fusible connection supporting said member out of contact with said conductors, and an insulating ring surrounding said member adjacent said conductors, whereby as long as the member is supported in proper position it will be kept out of contact with the conductors, and as soon as the fusible member is melted the member will be allowed to drop until it comes into contact with both of said conductors to bridge a circuit between the same.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BENJAMIN TRENT.

\Vitnesses:

IVILLIAM F. NICKEL, PHILIP D. ROLLHAUS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

